Even though the shrimps were frozen, we still opted to try out the "fresh" shrimps today. They looked shiny and smelled salty, which were always good signs. I miss the days when you can buy live, jumping shrimps. My grandma would heat up some sesame oil and fresh ginger in a hot wok, throw the shrimps in and put the lid on for a few minutes. Once she opened the lid, the lovely, warm smell of shrimps in all their coral-ed glory, will waft up in the air. She would also add a good splash of soy sauce and chinese rice wine (the cheap kind, which was more fragrant), simmer for the few seconds and serve. Within a few minutes, the entire 2-3 kilos of goodnes will be wiped out. From the corner of my eye, I would see my grandma's pleased expression as we line up to empty our plates of the shells. That was a darn good meal.
My version is entirely different, though I have tried her version a few times back in Manila. I'm still head over heels in love with Spanish, so I have these influences in mind when I created this dish from scratch. The original version of this dish was inspired by the plain garlic shrimps with butter and lemon sauce that I've always seen served in Western movies, which connotes affluence and class. As I chopped away, I wanted to add some "heat" but do not have fresh chillies. I opted to use the Sambal that I've bought from the Asian grocery. Some herbs, perhaps? Why not parsley? Again, nothing fresh at hand, so dried parsley will do as just as well. Lastly, I always remember Chef Frank Camorra with his parsley/smoked paprika combination in almost all of his dishes, so I added just half a teaspoon of it into the mix for flavor.
Ingredients:
1kg fresh green banana shrimps
half a head of garlic, chopped roughly
3-4 tablespoons of butter, softened
few drops of cooking oil
2-3 tablespoons of dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika
1/2 cup of fish stock or water
salt and pepper to taste
Method:
1. Heat up a large saucepan, medium heat will do. Add in the oil and butter. Once melted, tip in the chopped garlic.
2. As the butter foams, add in the shrimps, stir lightly until well coated.
3. Add the water and paprika. Cover and simmer for a 2-3 minutes.
4. Add in the parsley and simmer for another 2-3 minutes.
5. Season with salt and pepper. Take off the heat and enjoy!
I wanted something fresh with the shrimps, so I bought some salad leaves. The sauce was good and pungent, just the way I like it but the sauce was too scanty, so next time, more sauce please!Another thing I would change is to use fresh herbs, maybe combine coriander leaves and parsley.
My version is entirely different, though I have tried her version a few times back in Manila. I'm still head over heels in love with Spanish, so I have these influences in mind when I created this dish from scratch. The original version of this dish was inspired by the plain garlic shrimps with butter and lemon sauce that I've always seen served in Western movies, which connotes affluence and class. As I chopped away, I wanted to add some "heat" but do not have fresh chillies. I opted to use the Sambal that I've bought from the Asian grocery. Some herbs, perhaps? Why not parsley? Again, nothing fresh at hand, so dried parsley will do as just as well. Lastly, I always remember Chef Frank Camorra with his parsley/smoked paprika combination in almost all of his dishes, so I added just half a teaspoon of it into the mix for flavor.
Ingredients:
1kg fresh green banana shrimps
half a head of garlic, chopped roughly
3-4 tablespoons of butter, softened
few drops of cooking oil
2-3 tablespoons of dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika
1/2 cup of fish stock or water
salt and pepper to taste
Method:
1. Heat up a large saucepan, medium heat will do. Add in the oil and butter. Once melted, tip in the chopped garlic.
2. As the butter foams, add in the shrimps, stir lightly until well coated.
3. Add the water and paprika. Cover and simmer for a 2-3 minutes.
4. Add in the parsley and simmer for another 2-3 minutes.
5. Season with salt and pepper. Take off the heat and enjoy!
I wanted something fresh with the shrimps, so I bought some salad leaves. The sauce was good and pungent, just the way I like it but the sauce was too scanty, so next time, more sauce please!Another thing I would change is to use fresh herbs, maybe combine coriander leaves and parsley.
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